Editing Clostridium botulinum (section)

{{Short description|Species of endospore forming bacterium}}
{{cs1 config|name-list-style=vanc|display-authors=6}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = Clostridium botulinum_01.png
| image_caption = ''Clostridium botulinum'' stained with [[gentian violet]].
| taxon = Clostridium botulinum
| authority = [[van Ermengem]], 1896
}}
'''''Clostridium botulinum''''' is a [[Gram-positive bacteria|gram-positive]],<ref name = "Tiwari_2021">{{cite book | vauthors = Tiwari A, Nagalli S | chapter = Clostridium Botulinum |date=2021| chapter-url= http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK553081/|title =StatPearls|place=Treasure Island (FL)|publisher=StatPearls Publishing|pmid=31971722|access-date=2021-09-23}}</ref> [[Bacillus (shape)|rod-shaped]], [[Anaerobic organism|anaerobic]], [[endospore|spore-forming]], [[Motility|motile]] [[bacterium]] with the ability to produce [[botulinum toxin]], which is a [[neurotoxin]].<ref name="pmid19573697">{{cite journal |vauthors=Peck MW |title=Biology and genomic analysis of Clostridium botulinum |journal=Advances in Microbial Physiology |volume=55 |issue= |pages=183–265, 320 |date=2009 |pmid=19573697 |doi=10.1016/S0065-2911(09)05503-9 |isbn=978-0-12-374790-7 |url=}}</ref><ref name="Lindström">{{cite journal | vauthors = Lindström M, Korkeala H | title = Laboratory diagnostics of botulism | journal = Clinical Microbiology Reviews | volume = 19 | issue = 2 | pages = 298–314 | date = April 2006 | pmid = 16614251 | pmc = 1471988 | doi = 10.1128/cmr.19.2.298-314.2006 }}</ref>

''C. botulinum'' is a diverse group of [[pathogenic bacteria]]. Initially, they were grouped together by their ability to produce botulinum toxin and are now known as four distinct groups, ''C. botulinum'' groups I–IV. Along with some strains of ''[[Clostridium butyricum]]'' and ''[[Clostridium baratii]]'', these  bacteria all produce the toxin.<ref name="pmid19573697"/>

Botulinum toxin can cause [[botulism]], a severe [[Flaccid paralysis|flaccid paralytic]] disease in humans and other animals,<ref name="Lindström" /> and is the most potent toxin known to science, natural or synthetic, with a lethal dose of 1.3–2.1&nbsp;ng/kg in humans.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Košenina S, Masuyer G, Zhang S, Dong M, Stenmark P | title = Crystal structure of the catalytic domain of the Weissella oryzae botulinum-like toxin | journal = FEBS Letters | volume = 593 | issue = 12 | pages = 1403–1410 | date = June 2019 | pmid = 31111466 | doi = 10.1002/1873-3468.13446 | doi-access = free }}</ref><ref name="SherrisCh19">(2010). Chapter 19. ''Clostridium'', ''Peptostreptococcus'', ''Bacteroides'', and Other Anaerobes. In Ryan K.J., Ray C (Eds), ''Sherris Medical Microbiology'', 5th ed. {{ISBN|978-0-07-160402-4}}</ref>

''C. botulinum'' is commonly associated with bulging [[canning (food)|canned]] food; bulging, misshapen cans can be due to an internal increase in pressure caused by gas produced by bacteria.<ref name="IFAS">{{cite web| vauthors = Schneider KR, Silverberg R, Chang A, Goodrich Schneider RM |title=Preventing Foodborne Illness: ''Clostridium botulinum''|url=http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fs104|website=edis.ifas.ufl.edu|publisher=University of Florida IFAS Extension|access-date=7 February 2017|language=en|date=9 January 2015}}</ref>

''C. botulinum'' is responsible for foodborne [[botulism]] (ingestion of preformed toxin), infant botulism (intestinal infection with toxin-forming ''C. botulinum''), and wound botulism (infection of a wound with ''C. botulinum'').  ''C. botulinum'' produces heat-resistant [[endospore]]s that are commonly found in soil and are able to survive under adverse conditions.<ref name="pmid19573697"/>